Question

With regard to the Panchayat Samiti answer the following question:
What are the Civic and Developmental functions of a Panchyat Samiti?

Answer 1

The Civic and Development functions of a Panchayat Samiti are as follows:

1. Rural Health Programme: By 31 March 2001, some 23,000 Primary Health centres and 3,043 Community Health centres had been set-up to provide medical care to the villagers.
2. Rural water supply, Rural Roads and Regulation of Markets: It is the responsibility of a Panchayat Samiti to meet the fundamental needs like: drinking water. Further, it gets built and maintain the rural roads and regulates the markets.
3. Functions relating to Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries: These comprise the provision of an improved variety of seeds and chemical fertilizers, distribution of pesticides and improved variety of agricultural implements.
4. Development of cottage Industries: To augment job opportunities, handlooms, handicrafts and village industries have been promoted.
5. Social Welfare: Panchayat Samiti have to endeavor to promote the welfare of SCs and STs and other backward classes. Various programmes were implemented to bring about improvement in the status of women and children. ‘Anganwadis’ were set up in rural areas.
6. Rural Employment: A new self-employment programme, namely Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSR) was launched in 1999. It aims at establishing a large number of small enterprises in rural areas.